Kolkata, February 18 – Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to participate in a religious event at the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) temple in Mayapur, West Bengal's Nadia district, later in the day, and also address a gathering on the occasion.
However, sources within the West Bengal unit of the BJP said that, considering the religious atmosphere of the event, the Union Minister is unlikely to make any direct political statements during his address.
"The main reason for the Union Home Minister's visit to Mayapur is to attend the religious gathering on the occasion of the 152nd holy appearance day of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, the 19th-century Vaishnava revivalist and founder of the Gaudiya Math. Since the entire programme throughout the day at the ISKCON temple in Mayapur is based on this auspicious occasion, the Union Home Minister is likely to avoid making direct political speeches during the programme, despite his visit coming before the state assembly elections," said a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in West Bengal.
According to the schedule, the Union Home Minister will arrive at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport around 2 p.m. on Wednesday, and from there he will directly fly by a special helicopter to Mayapur. The Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, and a couple of other state BJP leaders will accompany him to Mayapur.
After landing at around 2.25 p.m., he will reach the ISKCON temple premises by golf cart.
According to the schedule provided by the BJP, after arriving at the temple, he will pay tribute at the statue of ISKCON founder, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Thereafter, he will participate in several religious functions, such as Narsingh Puja, Panchayatana Puja, and Ashtasakhi Puja.
Around 3 p.m., the Union Home Minister will arrive at the main dais of the programme, and according to the schedule, his speech will begin at 3.20 p.m. "Although it is unlikely that he will make any direct political speech during the event, all attention will be on his speech to see if he conveys any subtle message," said a member of the BJP in West Bengal.
